Steve Alford named new UCLA basketball coach

BASKETBALL
UCLA hired Steve Alford as basketball coach on Saturday, luring him from New Mexico days after he signed a new 10-year deal with the Lobos. Athletic director Dan Guerrero said Alford is “the perfect fit for UCLA” because he connects with a new generation of players and brings an up-tempo and team-oriented style of play to Westwood. “He’s ready for this stage,” Guerrero said on a teleconference. Alford agreed to a seven-year deal worth $18.2 million, with a yearly salary of $2.6 million, according to Guerrero. He will receive a $200,000 signing bonus. Alford will be introduced at UCLA on Tuesday. “I have been so fortunate and blessed in my life, and an opportunity to lead one of the greatest programs in college basketball history is once-in-a-lifetime,” he said in a statement.

TENNIS

Serena beats Sharapova at SonySerena Williams broke the Key Biscayne women’s record for most titles, and Maria Sharapova set a new standard for futility in finals. Williams swept the final 10 games and earned her sixth championship in the event Saturday by rallying past Sharapova, 4-6, 6-3, 6-0, at the Sony Open. Sharapova completed a career Grand Slam by winning the French Open, but she’s now 0-5 in Key Biscayne finals. After playing nearly flawless tennis for an hour, she began to miss with her serve, and Williams dominated rallies.

BASEBALL

Goldschmidt gets 5-year contract
The Arizona Diamondbacks have completed a five-year, $32.5 million contract agreement with first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. The contract runs through the 2018 season with a $14.5 million club option for 2019. The 25-year-old first baseman hit .286 with 43 doubles, 20 home runs and 82 RBIs last year, his first full season in the majors.

Johan Santana is set for another shoulder surgery that he hopes will save his career. The former New York Mets ace will have surgery Tuesday to repair the re-torn anterior capsule in his pitching shoulder, the team announced Saturday. The operation will be performed by Mets medical director Dr. David Altchek. Santana is likely to miss the entire season for the second time in three years, which means he may have thrown his last pitch for the Mets. The two-time Cy Young Award winner is in the final year of a $137.5 million contract.

HOCKEY

Sabres trade Leopold to Blues
The Buffalo Sabres traded defenseman Jordan Leopold to the St. Louis Blues for two draft picks. Buffalo announced the move before its game against the Washington Capitals on Saturday. It comes with the NHL trading deadline approaching on Wednesday. The Sabres received a second-round pick and a conditional fifth-round pick in this year’s draft. Leopold is a 10-year NHL veteran who has spent the past three seasons in Buffalo.